It was a morning like any other. I woke up wondering if there would be a morning when I would wake up and did not feel like death warmed over. My head throbbed, my body ached with pain, I could not fathom the slightest movement, and I felt like I had not slept at all, but instead ran a marathon and collapsed from exhaustion. And why should I rush to force myself out of bed? It was another day of dealing with various intense and/or nagging pains, spending hours in the bathroom with digestive difficulties, coping with severe allergies and trying not to catch colds/flus for fear of the consequences, feeling like my body was freezing no matter how hot or cold it actually was, pumping my body full of artificial energy supplies like coffee to make up for the fact I had none, taking prescription drugs I was told I had to take for the rest of my life, dealing with the side effects of those drugs (for which they wanted to give me…you guessed it…more drugs!), and wondering when would be the day I’d have to go through that back surgery again where they fused my spine together and permanently damaged some nerves. That was the worst pain and recovery I had ever experienced…I was completely dependent on others to do anything for myself and quickly learned to appreciate the “little things” in life like walking, which I had to learn how to do all over again.

My husband and children had different issues, but things were miserable for them as well. I prayed and prayed for God to help us get well. And one day, God did, but not by some miracle. He led me to someone who could teach me to get well and stay well. It wasn’t until that person challenged me, and everything I had been taught or brainwashed to believe, that I began to truly change and improve my quality of life.

‘Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”

But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.’ – John 5:1-15

I believe this Bible story applies to all of us, not just spiritually, but physically. We all face health challenges and limitations that hurt, if not destroy, the quality of life we or our loved ones experience. We all hear many voices from within and without telling us what we should or should not believe, should or should not do. In the end though, it comes down to recognizing God’s place in your life and in the design of your body as well as honoring Him by following His commands concerning your life and your body so that you may be blessed as well as bless others.

So here I am to challenge you with that same question: “Do you want to get well?” You may be saying, “Of course I do! But you don’t understand my situation.” You may be saying, “Of course I do! But the damage has been done; doctors said I have no hope.” From someone who has been there, let me tell you, loved one, you can get well. I was told, among many other things, that I would never have children again, but I did…that my disease would progress and my hair would fall out again if I stopped taking the medication, but they did not and I have gone years without any of those issues. Regardless of your limitations and challenges, you can overcome and improve your health and quality of life. You just need an open mind and heart, and a commitment to persevere. Remember that it is about progress, not perfection.

Obstacles to Getting WellLimitations come in two forms: real and perceived. Solutions to both start with a bit, or a lot, of compromise when it comes to our ideals, desires, and standards. We may have real limitations…physical such as missing a limb or a deformed ankle…financial such as minimal to no income or an overwhelming mound of debt…situational such as the demands of family and life that leave you with little to no time for yourself…the list is endless. These are all real limitations that need real solutions. For example, my spinal fusion has left me with permanent damage and consequences, including not being able to twist or turn my torso. That means I should sleep with a pillow between my legs to prevent twisting in my sleep, adapt exercise classes and videos on the fly when the instructor is doing a twisting motion, overcome the desire to stretch my body by twisting, etc. These are all real limitations if I do not want to have another surgery, but they do not stop me from doing what I need to do to improve my health. They do stop me from doing what I want to do, and that is why I need to accept those realities and compromise.

For years, I have been hearing this voice in my head saying, “I can’t.” It uses a lot of my real limitations as reasons why I can’t. The truth of the matter though is that they are excuses for why I can remain sick and tired. They are something or someone I can blame for not being happy or achieving my goals. They are simply my own distorted perceptions that I allow to prevent me from living out the purpose of my life. For example, quite frequently I have thought, “I’m too tired to exercise. I can’t.” Still, I somehow manage to force myself to do it, and am surprised to see that not only did I do it, but I feel better and have more energy as a result. I have thought, “I’m too stressed out to eat healthy. It’s great other people have the time and money to eat healthy, but I can’t.” When the reality is that I lack self-control, I lack the willingness to spend the time to make something healthier, I lack the creativity and determination to find foods/meals that are healthier on the budget I can afford (even if that is only food stamps), and I choose to ignore the fact that I would feel better and less stressed if I ate healthier. Again, it needs to start with compromise. We cannot have all-or-nothing thinking about our health. Every good thing we do for our bodies helps tip the scale towards health while each poison we expose ourselves to or good we leave undone tips the scale towards illness and death.

Besides compromise, we also need deliberate choice and creativity in our solutions. I lived too many years thinking, “I’ll start tomorrow.” It’s each choice we make today that determines our tomorrows. You don’t have an hour to exercise? What about 20 minutes? 10 minutes? 5 minutes? You can’t walk? Can you lift weights or your legs while sitting in a chair? Anything to use/build up or stretch the muscles you have? You can’t afford organic beef? What about finding a local source of grass-fed beef or a cheaper protein source such as eggs from pasture-fed chickens? Can’t afford organic vegetables in your area? Buy fruits and vegetables with thick outer layers such as cucumbers or oranges so you can at least peel off and throw out the part that has the most pesticides in it. Be creative and you will find something you can do even if it isn’t everything you want to do. Replace all those negative thoughts and attitudes with positive ones that bring you closer to your goals and purpose!

There is an overabundance of information on health out there…most of it is false because it is based on a wrong foundation and understanding of how the body was designed to work. We don’t “need” our tonsils? We don’t “need” our appendix? Really? Why would they be there if they did not have a purpose in our body’s design? Or if doctors will acknowledge they do serve a purpose, why do they dumb down what they say to make people less educated about their bodies? (Read more about how amazing the body is here: http://creation.com/the-human-bodygods-masterpiece.) You have your “expert” doctors and organizations telling you how things are and what you should do because they believe they know all there is to know about the body instead of humbly realizing there are mysteries about the body’s design and workings that they will never be able to understand…and most of the masses blindly trust and put their faith in these “experts.” We are taught that we shouldn’t question our doctors. Still, aren’t they human as we are and prone to error? In my family alone, doctors’ mistakes have led to severe complications for a few people; one person died as a result. So many naturally minded doctors (like chiropractors) are slammed as crazy, awful people because they recommend things other than what people have been brainwashed by the Government, media, and traditional/modern medicine to believe, but the natural treatments they are recommending come with little to no risk of injury or death – unlike drugs or surgeries.

Please note that there is always a time and place for medicines, vaccinations, and surgeries/other invasive testing and procedures. You must weigh benefits versus risks. And like any group of people – doctors, chiropractors, police, Government, companies, etc – there are both “good” and “bad” people in them. Also, some people do question their doctors and seek to educate themselves before accepting prescriptions or treatment that could alter the course of their own life or a loved one’s life. But speaking generally, medicines, surgeries, etc. are overused and abused by oftentimes corrupt or ignorant (though oftentimes well-meaning) doctors and Government representatives/organizations such as the FDA and CDC as well as pharmaceutical and food supply companies who are looking to make big profits regardless of the problems or deaths their products cause.

Just look at Monsanto when it comes to food, or anti-depressants and other psychotropic drugs and their suicidal/homicidal side effects as well as how they are given to children as young as toddlers like they are candy (these drugs are dangerous and should not be taken by anyone, let alone a child!), re-labeled for other purposes, etc. As an example, a doctor tried to give me an anti-depressant to treat migraines, another tried to give me one for heart pain, etc…both doctors wanted to cover up symptoms and both symptoms went away when another doctor of chiropractic fixed the root cause. Let’s face it…the sicker you are, the more money so many people stand to make. Many studies clearly show how natural treatments are much more effective at overcoming depression, high blood pressure, chronic ear infections, etc. Yet, we are constantly pushed the “quick fix” of a magic pill. Before and after x-rays clearly show Scoliosis and other structural issues can be corrected. Yet, we are told Scoliosis cannot be corrected and they recommend surgeries instead. You have cancer cells in your body right now; so do I. Yet, we are made to think that cancer, along with many other diseases, is something that demands a man-made “cure.” When really all the body needs is no interference so it can function properly and keep the cancer cells, which are always present, in check. The lack of patient and physician education in our country, combined with all the arrogance, corruption, false teachings, and bullying, have made the U.S. the sickest nation:

U.S. Top Cause of Death: Our Modern “Health Care” System – Adverse effects of properly prescribed and improperly prescribed medication, vaccinations, hospital acquired infections, and administrative errors. 1.1 million deaths per year or 2 deaths every 60 seconds. Data obtained from the Centers for Disease Control Journal American Medical Association Vol. 284 July 26, 2000 Life Extension March 2004

“U.S. Most Depressed Country in the World” – Wall St. Journal March 9, 2007

U.S. World Leader in Adult & Childhood Obesity

U.S. Ranks 79th out of 81 Industrialized Nations – According to the World Health Organization’s “total health index”

We need a paradigm shift to holistic, natural prevention and treatment where we understand that it most likely took years for disease to dominate in our bodies and we need to be patient in the fact that it may take years to heal. Everyone has a unique case. For example, some of my issues disappeared within weeks and months of implementing natural treatment; others are taking years to address and reverse the damage; and still others are the results of permanent damage that cannot be reversed, but can be minimized to affect my quality of life as little as possible. You can do the same, no matter where you are in your life’s journey.

Your Guide for Getting WellWhen your health is impaired, it is much like a jigsaw puzzle in terms of finding the pieces that are missing in order to create a completed picture that represents you at your best possible health potential. Stop covering up symptoms and uncover the root causes to fix the problem permanently! Over the next several blog posts, I will discuss each of the below puzzle pieces in more detail. Follow this blog by entering your email address on the left side of this page and you will be notified of future posts in this series.